Gladding-Hearn books order for high-speed ferry

New ferry will be larger and more luxurious than earlier vessels

FEBRUARY 25, 2015 — Hy-Line Cruises, a division of Hyannis Harbor Tours, Inc., Hyannis, MA, has ordered a new 493-passenger, high-speed catamaran from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, the Duclos Corporation, for delivery in 2016.

It will be the fourth Incat-Crowther design fast ferry built by the Somerset, MA, shipyard for the Cape Cod passenger ferry company and will be larger and more stylish in design than the previous deliveries.

The all-aluminum ferry will provide year-round passenger service between Hyannis and Nantucket Island and will be about 153.5 feet (46.8 m) long with a beam of 34.5 feet (10.5 m) at the beam, and a loaded draft of approximately 8 feet (2.5 m), loaded.

The vessel will be powered by four Cummins QSK60-M, EPA Tier 3 diesel engines, each delivering 2,200 bhp at 1,800 rpm. Each engine will power a Hamilton HM721 water jet through a Twin Disc MG61500SC horizontally-offset gearbox.Each hull will be equipped with a 125 kW Cummins QSB7-D(M), EPS Tier 3 generator.

The ferry’s top speed will be over 30 knots when fully loaded at a deadweight of more than 64 tonnes, according to Gladding-Hearn president Peter Duclos.

In the event of a failure of one of the propulsion systems, the boat will still keep the schedule, but will require full power from the remaining three engines.

“This kind of margin and redundancy is just prudent business for a ferry that will operate close to 5,000 hours per year,” says Mr. Duclos.

Like Hy-Line’s current high-speed catamarans, the new ferry will be outfitted with a Naiad Dynamics trim tab ride control system to improve passenger comfort and safety. The system’s motion sensor measures the relative movement of the vessel and transmits an electrical signal to the appropriate hydraulic device to counter the boat’s action through the waves

“By keeping the unwanted motion and steering to a minimum the system can also minimize the speed loss in rough seas,” notes Mr. Duclos.

The main cabin seats 163 passengers and includes a full service concession, heating and air conditioning, two heads, and a large luggage room aft. An etched-glass screen will separate the passenger seating area from the concession and condiment counters.

The second deck, with interior seating for 155 passengers, features heating and air conditioning, premium seating forward, three heads, interior and exterior cocktail bars, and exterior seating for 46 passengers. The premium seating area is separated from the main passenger area by a half-height bulkhead with glass screens.

The third deck, with the pilothouse forward, provides exterior seating for 129 passengers. Access to the wheelhouse, which is equipped with centerline and port and starboard engine and waterjet controls, is from exterior doors in the aft bulkhead.

The design calls for Beurteaux seats and tables in the cabins and on the exterior decks.